Transparency supporting and illuminating device



v. H. cooK 2,902,787 TRANSPARENCY SUPPORTING AND ILLUMINATING DEVICESept, 8, 1959 Filed Dec. 25, 195'? (Zag \ INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY,.rellections are eliminated.

TRANSPARENCY SUPPORTING AND ILLUlVIlNATlNG DEVICE Vernon H. Cook, EastHartford, Conn. Application December 23, 1957, Serial Nar-704,404

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-152.2)

United States Patent O parencies, constructed and arranged to supportthe frame and associated transparency when the frame is inthe normalviewing position, in such .manner Ithat undesirable S'tillanother objectof my inventioriis to providet'an improved arrangement for supportingand illuminating transparencies, wherein the reilector member, formingthe lamp housing, is provided with peripheral tlange portions adaptedfor engagement with the transparency frame along the inner sides of theframe at the rear thereof.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved arrangementfor supporting and illuminating transparencies, wherein the frame orholder for the transparency is formed from an elastic material, theframe being constructed and arranged for interlocking engagement withthe peripheral portion of the reflector member.

With these and other objects in view, which may be incident to myimprovements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to behereinafter set forth and claimed, Iwith the understanding that theseveral necessary elements, comp-rising my invention, may be varied inconstruction, proportions and arrangement, without departing from thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown inthe accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practicaleffect, without limiting the improvements in their useful applicationsto the particular constructions, which for the purpose of explanation,have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the transparency supporting andilluminating device of the present inventlon.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View along line 3-3 of Fig. l, showing theposition of the device when in use.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view along line #-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view, similar to Fig. 4, showing amodification of the transparency mounting frame; and

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5, showing another modification of thetransparency mounting frame.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1-4, thetransparency illuminating and supporting arrangement comprises aconventional photograph frame 1, having a sheet of clear glass 2, atransparency 3, and a sheet of suitable light-diffusing material 4,mounted therein. Attached to the rear of the frame is a rellector member5 constituting a lamp housing and a support for the frame and associatedtransparency. 'Ihe reflector, which is formed from a single piece ofresilient material, preferably a light gauge metal, comprises arectangular shaped rear panel 6, trapezoidal shaped side panels 7, andtrapezoidal shaped top and bottom panels 8 and 9, respectively. Thelower base 10 of each of the side panels is formed with a laterallyextending flange 11, adapted to tit under the exposed portions 12, ofbrads 13, used to retain the sheets 2 and 4, and the transparency 3,within the frame. f

The top panel 8 is bent inwardly at right angles to th plane of the rearpanel 6, along its'line of juncture 1.4 with the rear panel, andupwardly at an acute angle along the line 15, forming a horizontal'portion 16 between the bend or fold lines, the tree edge of the panelabutting the inner face of the frame. The bottom panel 9 `is formed insubstantially the same manner as the top panel, with its free edgeinengagement with the inner vface of the frame. In order to protect thesurfaceon which the reflector rests :against abrasion, when the deviceis in use, the bottom'panel is provided with rubber grommets 17 arrangedinspaced relation with respect tothe portion of the bottompanel'contiguous to the rear panel,

-as shown in Fig. 2. ln connection with the construction and arrangementof the reliector panels, it will be noted (Fig. 2) that theconfiguration of the top and bottom panels is such that a gap or opening18 `is formed between each of the opposite edges of these panels and thecontiguous surfaces of the side panels. The purpose of this arrangementis to provide for ventilation of the interior of the lamp housing formedby the reiiector.

Positioned within the reliector 5 is an electric lamp socket 19 having alamp bulb 20 therein, the socket being supported on the top panel 8,centrally of the horizontal portion 16, by means of a fitting Z1.Current for the lamp is supplied by leads 22 which are threaded throughan insulating grommet 23, mounted in the rear panel. switch device 24 isprovided for controlling the flow 0f current to the lamp.

In assembling the device, the transparency, which may consist of asingle photograph or picture, or a plurality of individual photographsor pictures, is mounted in the frame between the clear glass and thesheet of light-diiusing material, these elements being retained in theframe by the brads 13, which are driven into the frame at spaced pointsalong the inner surfaces of the sides of the frame, slightly above thesurface of the light-diusing material. The reflector 5 is attached tothe frame by exing the side panels 7 Iinwardly until the ends of flanges11 clear the exposed portions 12 of the brads, and by pressingdownwardly, and simultaneously releasing the pressure on the panels theyspring outwardly, thus forcing the end portions of the flanges intoseated position between the brads and the light-diiiusing sheet. When itis desired to substitute a frame, with its associated transparency, orto obtain access to the interior of the housing for the purpose ofreplacing the lamp, the housing is easily removed by simply unseatingthe lianges from beneath the brads, and moving the frame in an outwarddirection away from the housing. It will thus be seen that by means ofmy improved transparency illuminating and supporting arrangement, thatthe frame may be quickly and easily attached to or removed from thereflector without the use of special tools, and that in my improvedconstruction', conventional clamps or special ttings lfor securing theparts together have been eliminated.

When in use, the device may be supported on a at surface or hung on awall by means of a suitable hook or .picture hanger adapted to seat inthe opening 25 formed in the rear panel. When the device is vplaced onaat surface, it assumes the rearwardly tilted position,y as `shown finYFig. 3, Athuselirninating undesirable'direct reflection oflight'raysfrom the glass.

While the reector hasibeen described as having flanges on thesidepanels, it will be understood that the `present inventioncomprehends'the provision of anges on yallof thefpanels, and in lieu ofseating the flanges under the lbrads, the inner surface of the framewill beformed with a groove to receive-and seat the anges. Y 'vReferring tov Fig. 5, there is shown a modied form of `holder for `thetransparency, which may -be fused instead of a'conventio'nal -pictureframe, `as described hereinabove. form of a closed band 26 of plastic orpre-formed rubber `"is'iitted over and around 'the'edges of the glass'Z,transparen'cy Sland the light-diffusing material 4, which a'reireftainediwithin the band bythe flanges l11 ofthe panels', the 'freeedge portions of the flanges being seated in the per'ipheral groove 27of the band., In the modification shown in Fig. 6 Vthe 4band 6'Y isformed with an inner peripheral groove of sucient width to receive theflanges 11 in clamping engagement with the components of thetransparency mounting.

While vI have shown and described the preferred ernbodiment of myinvention, I wish it to be understood that "I do not conne myself to theprecise details of construcltion herein set forth by way ofillustration, as it-is ap- In the modification, a Vsimulated frame inthe v`parent*that-many"changes and variations may be made therein, bythose skilled in the art, without departing from vthe spirit of theinvention o r exceeding the scope of the appended claim. i

I claim:

A transparency supporting and illuminating device of the characterdescribed, comprising a reector member, constituting a lamp housing,formed from a single piece of sheet metal, having va rectangular shapedrear panel, and trapezoidalshaped top, vbottom Vand side panelsextending inwardly from the ends and sides, respectively, of the rearpanel, eachof sad'side panels having a laterally extending ange on thefree edge thereof, the top and bottom panels 'being bent inwardly atright angles 'to -the Vplane of the rear panel along their lines ofjuncture with the rear panel and outwardly along lines intermediate ofsaid panels, whereby to form a horizontal portion in each of the panelsbetween the intermediate fold line and the edge of -the rear panel, eachofthe opposite edges ofthe 'top and bottom panels dening a gap with 'itscontiguoussurface of its adjacent Vframing side panel, a lamp socket`within the housing, said 'socket being supported on kthe .horizontalportion' of thetop panel, a rectangular shaped framehaving atransparency mounted therein, 'and means associated with the lframe toreceive the end portions of Vthe laterally extending anges of the sidepanels, whereby the frame is fdetachably secured to the housing.

References Cited in the le of `this patent

